Question on correct grain direction

Quick question for you guys to help me with:Building an entertainment center for my daughter, and after I agreed, she said – oh, by the way, I need two matching end tables.So these end tables will be almost square, at 22” wide and 24” deep. Which way should the top grain run?, side to side?, or front to back?

If the tables were more rectangular, the answer would be easy, run the grain with the longest dimension. But here?, .......

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Either of the above, or you could make the top a little larger square, them cut it into quarters with diagonal cuts, and realign two of them to get the grain on all four pieces running from the edge in toward the center. The trim the outside to the final desired size. You could try this with a small piece of wood first to see it you like the effect.

I would run the grain side to side. That is the way a dresser would look. To me, end grain on the front of a nightstand would look odd. I might consider changing the dimensions to square, or slightly wider than it is deep.

-- Willie, Washington "If You Choose Not To Decide, You Still Have Made a Choice" - Rush